Foreign ministry says it rejects Russia\u2019s decision to annex four regions, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia
\nISTANBUL
\nTurkiye\u2019s Foreign Ministry said on Saturday it rejects Russia\u2019s annexation of four regions in Ukraine, adding the decision is a \u201cgrave violation\u201d of international law.
\nTurkiye, a NATO member, has conducted a diplomatic balancing act since Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24. Ankara opposes Western sanctions on Russia and has close ties with both Moscow and Kyiv, its Black Sea neighbours. It has also criticised Russia\u2019s invasion and sent armed drones to Ukraine.
\nThe Turkish ministry said on Saturday it had not recognised Russia\u2019s annexation of Crimea in 2014, adding that it rejects Russia\u2019s decision to annex the four regions, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia.
\n\u201cThis decision, which constitutes a grave violation of the established principles of international law, cannot be accepted,\u201d the ministry said.
\n\u201cWe reiterate our support to the resolution of this war, the severity of which keeps growing, based on a just peace that will be reached through negotiations,\u201d it added.
\nRussian President Vladimir Putin proclaimed the annexation of the regions on Friday, promising Moscow would triumph in its \u201cspecial military operation\u201d even as he faced a potentially serious new military reversal.
\nHis proclamation came after Russia held what it called referendums in occupied areas of Ukraine. Western governments and Kyiv said the votes breached international law and were coercive and non-representative.
\nThe United States, Britain and Canada announced new sanctions in response.
\nUkrainian President Volodymr Zelenskiy said on Friday his country had submitted a fast-track application to join the NATO military alliance and that he would not hold peace talks with Russia while Putin was still president.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Foreign ministry says it rejects Russia\u2019s decision to annex four regions, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson and Zaporizhzhia ISTANBUL Turkiye\u2019s Foreign Ministry said on Saturday it rejects Russia\u2019s annexation of four regions in Ukraine, adding the decision is a \u201cgrave violation\u201d of international law. Turkiye, a NATO member, has conducted a diplomatic balancing act since Russia invaded […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":286921,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-286910","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n